Broncos worry about mobility of Titans QB

Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young poses matchup problems for pretty much every NFL team. On Monday night, it's the Denver Broncos' turn to attempt to contain the mobile passer. Game time is 6:30 p.m. (local) on ESPN. (Mark Humphrey/AP)

ENGLEWOOD., Colo. ” Broncos rookie defensive lineman Tim Crowder wasn’t allowed to so much as breathe on Vince Young in their college days at Texas.

Finally, the no- touch edict has been removed. Crowder gets his chance to deliver a hit on the Tennessee Titans quarterback. That is, if he can catch up to him.

“Vince is a Superman who doesn’t need a phone booth,” Crowder said of his former Longhorns teammate. “He’s really good. He is so effortless when he makes plays.”

Young has the Denver defense on edge. The Broncos have been struggling with the run all season, giving up 151 yards a game, and now they face a mobile quar­terback Monday night. “Vince is a very talented quarterback,” Denver defensive boss Jim Bates said. “He’s definitely a threat every time the ball is snapped.”

Young has rushed for 217 yards and two touchdowns this season. He’s also coming off a game in which he threw for a career-high 257 yards in a loss to Jack­sonville.

“We always have to be aware of him,” Bates said. “He can make things happen.” Denver’s plan is simple: Keep him in the pocket. The Broncos don’t want to see him rolling out.

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“He’s one of the best quarterbacks going once he starts running,” Broncos defensive lineman Sam Adams said. “But he doesn’t have to just run to make plays. He’s making plays with his arm, too.”

Dre’ Bly thinks a spy is definitely in order for Young. That way, he’s account­ed for at all times.

“Everything they do starts with Vince, and for us to be successful we have to keep Vince contained,” Bly said. “He poses a threat throwing the football, run­ning the football and we have our work cut out for us. This is a team you need to worry about.”

Champ Bailey has heard the compar­isons: Young is a clone of Michael Vick. Yet from what Bailey has seen on film, he doesn’t totally buy into that line of think­ing.

“Vick was definitely one of a kind, but he [Young] is just as effective. Vince can throw better,” Bailey said. ” We’ll see. I haven’t seen him in person yet.”

Broncos rookie running back Selvin Young counts the Titans quarterback as one of his best friends. He said they’ve chatted a lot about the game, but no trash talk.

“We try not to push any buttons,” said Selvin Young, who also went to Texas, and threw the block to spring Vince Young for the winning touchdown against USC in the Rose Bowl, securing the Longhorns’ BCS national championship. “We’re both very competitive people.”